


Serpentine

by headoverhook



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Demon/Witch AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-05-27 08:26:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6277060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/headoverhook/pseuds/headoverhook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Demon/Witch AU.</b> Emma shouldn't feel anything but hate for him - the normal response when a witch meets a demon. But she can't deny the mutual attraction, convincing herself it's pure lust and nothing else. Until a case forces her to work with the demon, the reluctant liaison leading them down a path full of surprises that threaten to destroy everything they believe in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **I'm jumping right into the 'hot water' here, but don't expect them to be loving or affectionate right from the start. They don't really like the fact that they're attracted to each other, so their encounters are a little rough around the edges at the beginning. :-)**
> 
> **Special thanks to my beta reader _mearcats_. This story wouldn't be as good as I hope it is without her.**

**Part 1 - Instant Attraction**

**Chapter 1**

She shouldn't be here. She knew she should just turn around and walk away. Her mind was telling her over and over again that she had to forget him, that she should find someone else to hook up with, that she could find good sex just around the corner.

Her mind was telling her not to see him again, but her body wanted him. And only him.

She'd tried to break this unwelcome addiction by using all her toys whenever the urge to go to him arose. Having a vampire roommate was definitely helping with that matter, since it gave her access to all those kinky vampire sex shops. You could get everything imaginable there, and a few things you'd never even dreamed of in your wildest fantasies.

But no matter how often she made use of those special toys it was never enough. It always ended right where she was standing now. In front of the portal that would lead her into his world.

She hated the world she was about to enter. Tried to avoid it at any costs. Everything about it gave her the creeps. But it had been another hard day at the office, so to speak, and she needed the release she knew only he could give her. She didn't really have a choice here.

Deep breath. And another one.

Closing her eyes, she held her breath and concentrated. Lifting her hand, she pressed it against the door in front of her, feeling the slight vibrations tickling her skin as she shifted her body from one world to the other.

The sensation was always uncomfortable, as if her body was squeezed through a small gap. The sounds around her changed, the air. The clean smell of her world was replaced by the stale air of the other world. The odor of ash and rotten grass lingered around her and she took a deep breath, adjusting herself to this side before she opened her eyes.

The way to his apartment from the portal wasn't far, but walking in this world was a whole lot more difficult than in hers. It was like trudging through mud, every step more exhausting than the one before. She was panting heavily by the time she reached his door, but nonetheless she lifted her hand and knocked, knowing that what was waiting for her behind the door would wear her down even more.

"Who's there?" his voice drifted out to her, the lilt in his tone shooting the first shivers down her spine, her stomach clenching painfully.

"It's me," Emma said softly, not having to wait long before the door swung open a second later, and she entered through it.

For a moment she caught a glimpse of his real body, a fluttering of a wing as he disappeared around the corner but when she stepped into the room, he was in his usual attire. All in black leather with a hook as a hand, black eyeliner around his startling blue eyes, and a cocky smirk on his face.

The perfect illusion.

"Wouldn't have expected you back so soon, love."

She just shrugged her shoulders and walked over to him, wrapping her hands around his neck and pulling him down to her. He didn't need an explanation. He knew why she was here. Knew why she came back to him over and over again.

Her fingers reached for the zipper of his pants, a moan escaping her as she wrapped her hand around his still human-sized cock, feeling it pulsating hot under her fingers. Her body already ached with the need to feel him inside her, knowing that his cock would enlarge even more later. She shivered in his arms, his kiss turning hungry and possessive, her fear of pain and need colliding. It was always like this. She knew it would hurt immensely, that she wouldn't be able to walk without feeling pain for at least a week afterwards, but she still couldn't stay away.

A moment later her clothes were ripped off her, the fabric hanging down in shreds from her body as he closed his mouth around her nipple and bit down, shooting the first wave of pain through her while two fingers slammed into her, taking her breath away.

"Have you recovered from the last time?" he rasped, his hot breath brushing over the damp peak, his tongue lashing out and flicking over it, making her shiver. "Are you really ready for another round?"

"Yes," she moaned as he added a third finger, sliding them harshly in and out of her. "God, yes."

He was naked a few moments later, pushing her back until she hit the table and she climbed up, his hands pressing her legs apart before he stepped between them.

"Ready?"

Emma just nodded, biting her tongue in anticipation of the pain he always let her feel when he plunged into her. He didn't disappoint her, and she screamed as his scorching hot cock pushed into her, her nails digging into the wood as he immediately enlarged his cock inside her, stretching her wider and wider, the pain rushing in waves through her body. Gritting her teeth, she tried to get through the pain but then his finger brushed over one nipple and the pain subsided to a bearable level almost instantly as he pumped pheromones into her through his hand.

Every inch of her body he touched was burning despite the chemical soothers he was shooting through her body, and then he plunged into her again and she cried out, another gust of pheromones pushing through her as he balanced out the pain he caused her.

He was taking her hard, shoving his enormous cock roughly into her and it hurt, but she just wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and bucked her hips into his.

God, she was insane. But she needed more. Wanted more.

"God, Killian," she breathed, her head lolling back as his hard thrusts almost made her cross the line between pain and pleasure. "More. Give me more."

The stream of pheromones suddenly stopped and she screamed again as his hot cock burned inside her, the pain almost unbearable. Her breath was coming out in harsh gasps as she struggled to keep conscious and he swelled even more inside of her, stretching her to her limits, still pumping in and out of her in a frantic pace.

"Gods, Emma. You're so beautiful."

Dark spots appeared at the corner of her eyes, her heart racing in her chest, the pain so intense that she was close to blacking out and then his fingers pressed against her sensitive bundle of nerves, shooting another gust of pheromones into her system while rubbing her clit frantically. She gasped, stars exploding behind her closed eyelids, her body shaking with the jolts of her climax rushing through her and she almost blacked out as his cum burst into her. Hot liquid fire, burning and healing her at the same time, causing another orgasm to rock through her.

Her whole body was still throbbing and her heart galloped in her chest as he pulled out of her, and she couldn't suppress a whimper when his still hot cock slid along her sore walls.

"Need a hand, love?"

She knew what he meant but she could take care of it herself. A few deep breaths and some concentration, and the piercing pain subsided as she sent a stream of healing magic through her body. She couldn't heal herself completely, though; a dull pain always remained, especially between her thighs. It would feel as though his cock was still inside of her for another hour, making it almost impossible to walk, but she gritted her teeth and hopped off the table, swirling her hand to set her clothes back together and slipping into them with clumsy movements.

"You should probably wait a little longer the next time, Emma. Your magic can never heal you completely. You shouldn't exhaust your body like that."

The tenderness in his tone made her throat close up and she looked up at him, her fingers itching to brush over his scruff, her sore body longing to just slip into his embrace and relax. But that wasn't possible. Not with him.

"As if you didn't enjoy it," Emma huffed, shrugging her jacket on.

"Oh, I love to fuck you, witch," he snarled, all tenderness gone from his voice. "But I'm a demon. I don't feel pain."

Right. He was a demon and she shouldn't be here with him. Every time she came to him she told herself it would be the last time. But they both knew she would come back. She always came back.

* * *

She walked quietly through the hallway, hoping her roommate wasn't up yet, but the sound of a door opening told her that she wasn't that lucky.

"You were with _him_ again."

"None of your business, Graham," she said as she walked past him.

"For God's sake, Emma. He is a demon."

"Half demon."

"You can't even walk properly," he huffed as he followed her into the kitchen. "You will be sore for at least a week. But I guess he has pumped you full of pheromones so you didn't feel it when he was fucking you."

"You are one to judge. Don't tell me you and Ruby aren't doing the same. Last time I stumbled over you two in the kitchen you'd gorged on her blood and brought her close to death, and it was a few hours before full moon," Emma replied harshly. "Don't tell me with whom I'm allowed to have sex, vampire."

"He'll kill you one day."

"We have everything under control."

"Have you?"

Emma didn't answer and just turned towards the coffee machine, needing the caffeine desperately. She ignored the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach that was telling her that Graham's concern wasn't without reason. They were getting more reckless every time they met, but what frightened her most was the fact that she actually enjoyed the thrill of danger. There were worse ways to die, if you ask her, then breathing your last breath while a demon was fucking the living daylights out of you.

"I'm just worried about you, Emma."

"I know," she said softly, turning around to face her roommate. "But there is nothing you need to worry about. I'm a grown woman. I know what I'm doing."

Graham's skeptical look was echoed by her mind, making her wonder if she really knew what she was doing. She was fucking a demon on a regular basis, and one day he might lose his control and burn her alive, or the demon or witch council found out about them. She didn't even want to imagine the hell that would break loose if that ever happened. The demon and witch worlds hated each other with a passion, and any liaison between those two worlds would be condemned. Not to mention that the witch council would blow a gasket about the fact that a witch was being intimate with a demon. Killian only being a half demon wouldn't help in the slightest.

"I gotta go," Graham's voice yanked her out of her thoughts, and she gave him a shaky smile as he leaned forward and brushed his lips over her cheek. "How about you try getting some sleep?"

"Will do," she replied, every single bone in her body aching with exhaustion. "Bye."

Wrapping her hands around the hot mug, she slipped on a stool, groaning softly when her sore muscles protested. Closing her eyes, she took a sip of the much needed coffee, letting her mind drift back to the first time she met the demon in question.


	2. Chapter 2

_Seven months ago_

Sometimes it was just easier to put her mind at ease by sitting in a dark corner of a dingy bar and nurse a glass of good old Scotch whisky, to be surrounded by people but still be alone.

Especially on days like she'd just had, she needed this. She knew she couldn't save everyone, knew that not all her searches could have a good outcome, but it still tore her heart apart every time she was too late. She specialized in kidnappings and missing persons with her PI firm; most of the time she went on the searches alone, but Graham and Ruby helped whenever she needed them. Not that it happened often - she was a very powerful witch after all. She could detect scents and hear sounds as well as Graham and Ruby with the help of charms, but sometimes attacking from several sides was advantageous.

At least today she didn't have to ask herself if going in with Graham and Ruby would have changed anything. She'd discovered where the kidnappers were holding Claire too late. When she'd arrived at the scene she'd smelled the unmistakable odor of a rotting corpse and she'd forced herself to stay detached as she'd gone in to make sure it was Claire and not someone or something else.

Lifting the glass to her mouth, she inhaled the sharp peat scent of the whisky in her hand, trying to forget the smell and sight that had greeted her when she'd stepped into the room earlier. She'd called the police who offered to tell Claire's parents, but Emma refused, driving to the Franklin's home to tell them herself. It never got easier, no matter how often she had to deliver bad news, and some days she wondered why she'd decided to pursue this line of work to begin with.

It had felt right all those years ago when she came back to the city with a broken heart and the knowledge that someone had wiped part of her memory clean. She'd lost twelve months of her life, and she'd have been furious if it wasn't clear that she'd agreed to it. For someone to erase each and every single memory of that year she had to have given her consent. It wouldn't have been possible otherwise, since not even a powerful witch could have done it that cleanly.

For the first few days she'd felt completely wrecked, her heart telling her that she'd lost something important. But she also knew that she'd only let go of her memories because there had been no other way. She must have taken that drastic measure for a reason, and she'd promised herself she wouldn't poke at it.

She'd met Graham three weeks later in this exact same bar, and somehow they'd clicked right from the start, though there had never been any romantic feelings involved, no sexual vibe. Not that she would ever start something with a vampire to begin with; she wasn't really into getting her blood sucked out of her body on a constant basis.

Graham had been the one who suggested she should try out the PI field, had told her that it would suit her. And he'd been right. It was exactly what she needed to let the past stay in the past and move forward.

They'd moved in together a month later. Graham wanted to get away from his overbearing father who wanted him to take over the reigns sooner or later, something Graham had no interest in. His father was the head of the Vampire Council and Graham hated politics with a passion. He was content with running a vampire club and with helping Emma from time to time.

Living with him turned out to be easier than expected. Graham was a great roommate. Due to being a descendant of one of the old vampire clans he was able to walk in daylight, so they didn't have to shut down their windows during the day or need access to a basement in which Graham could spent his days. He could almost live a normal life, if you overlooked the fact that he needed to drink at least two liters of blood every day to stay sane and healthy. She tried not to think about that too often.

After all, sharing an apartment definitely had advantages for both of them – living with a witch left a taint on Graham's reputation, making it almost impossible for him to ever join the council, something that made his father furious. Not that Graham really cared, though. And Emma didn't have to be alert all hours of the day and night. Witches normally lived in covens to protect themselves, since only their combined strengths could effectively keep the supernatural males at bay. Mating with a witch gave you incredible power for a few hours, so witches needed to shield themselves against attacks. But no one ever even considered touching her while she lived under Graham's protection, something she found out very quickly. Most of the supernatural population cowered in front of him, knowing that he or his family could destroy them in a blink of an eye. She could defend herself quite well, but not needing to have her guard up all the time was definitely a bonus.

Having a vampire as a roommate had a lot of perks, especially since he started dating a werewolf. Ruby had turned out to be a great friend, and being friends with a werewolf also kept the male wolves at bay. Emma couldn't remember a time when she could walk through the supernatural world with such ease, without expecting a threat around every corner.

Life was good. Most of the time.

But seeing Graham and Ruby together … she was happy for her friends. Their relationship might not be normal, but they fit together. She didn't begrudge them their happiness, but watching them being all cozy made her heart ache with loneliness sometimes. Which was kind of ridiculous, since she'd sworn to herself she would never get romantically involved with a man ever again. Neal's betrayal all those years ago still hurt; she almost didn't make it out alive and she definitely learned her lesson. Never to trust anyone with her heart ever again.

So whenever the ache in her heart or the horrible pictures of her work threatened to bring her down she went to this bar. She could just sit here and drink a few whiskeys while observing the other patrons, watching the humans mingle with vampires and werewolves without knowing it. Sometimes she wondered how the human population was still living in oblivion to the supernatural world. She'd met a few in her line of work and most of them weren't stupid. Maybe it was just easier to pretend that the things that go bump at night only existed in fiction; the reality was perhaps too much to comprehend without going insane.

Being detected wasn't really a problem anymore, since a few witches had developed a vaccine fifty years ago that made human blood toxic for vampires as long as they weren't willing participants. They couldn't be coerced into it, and a compulsion didn't erase the protective effect of the vaccine. Deaths caused by blood loss had gone down considerably after that, with the vampire population being forced to find a substitute. Nowadays synthetic blood tasted like blood coming from a living body so that drinking blood directly from human veins was more about pleasure than survival. After all, vampires could still make humans forget what had happened to them, so the supernatural world had still managed to stay a secret.

The rest of the supernatural population had never affected the human world much anyway. The werewolves stayed with their packs during full moon, and human casualties were few and far in between. The fairies, pixies and elves never stepped in their world to begin with and demons couldn't without being summoned.

That made bars like the 'Rascals' where all the different species mingled together even possible, and one of the reasons Emma loved to come here. She loved people watching without getting disturbed and ...

"Hello, beautiful."

She almost rolled her eyes upon hearing that stupid pickup line. It'd probably be followed by the 'heaven is missing an angel' crap. Why men even tried to pick her up was a mystery to her. She didn't put out any vibes, didn't wear clothes that highlighted her female assets, and she never made eye contact with anyone in here. She came here to relax, not to flirt or find an unsatisfying one-night stand. But men still kept trying to engage her in conversation.

"Hey, handsome," she shot back, opening all her senses to make sure he was human before she brushed him off. After all, she didn't want to provoke an unnecessary fight. "How about you turn around and take your ass back to where it came from?"

"Feisty. I like that."

He sent her a dazzling smile that made her look at him closer, and she had to admit he was definitely handsome. Dark hair that looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed after a sweaty time between the sheets, eyes that were such a startling blue that she couldn't keep her body from reacting, and his cheeks were covered by just the right amount of scruff. Not to mention that accent, the cocky smirk and that swagger of his hips, ass encased in tight leather pants, a red velvet vest over a black ruffled shirt completing the outfit. Not something she hadn't seen before, since she was living with a vampire after all. And they loved their leather, though admittedly the stranger in front of her pulled it off better than most vampires did. Leaning back, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked him up and down, curious if she'd be able to rattle his confidence.

"Not interested, buddy," she said. A blatant lie, but he didn't know that.

"Okay, here's the thing, love." He didn't even falter under her scrutiny, his smile broadening even more as he leaned against the wooden post of the booth and looked down at her. "I'm bored, you're bored. So how about I keep you company and entertain you with stories about the patrons in here."

"Fake or real?"

"Reality is boring," he replied, his fingers curling around his belt buckle while he waved his other hand around. "Letting your imagination run wild is much more satisfying."

"Do tell," she retorted, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as his fingers played over his belt. He was definitely too cocky for his own good, but her body still responded. And who was she to deny it this unexpected pleasure? She might as well enjoy his company for a little while longer. There could be no harm in that, after all. As long as she didn't let it go any further.

"Still not interested?" he asked, cocking one eyebrow as his mouth curled up into a lopsided smirk.

"Okay," she sighed, scooting over to give him room to sit beside her. "You have five minutes to convince me you're worthwhile."

"I love a challenge," he drawled and she couldn't keep herself from rolling her eyes, a warm tingle running down her spine as he answered that with a deep chuckle before slipping into the booth beside her.

She didn't think it possible, but he was very entertaining, his made-up stories having her laughing out loud more than once. With each story he told they drifted closer together and Emma tried to convince herself that it was only so that she could hear him clearly; after all the bar was getting crowded and louder and louder with each passing second. It was definitely not because she enjoyed the shivers every brush of his arm or leg against her elicited, not because the closer he got the better she could smell his enticing cologne, and it was definitely not because she started to imagine pulling him out of the back door and having her wicked way with him in the dark alley behind the bar. Not at all.

"Where did you go, love?"

"Nowhere," she shot back, glad that her cheeks didn't flush bright red. "I'm right here."

His eyes flickered for a brief moment to her lips and then back to her eyes again, and she sucked in a sharp breath when she saw his eyes burning with lust, his voice only a harsh rasp when he asked, "Wanna get out of here?"

It was a blatant invitation, an invitation she knew she should refuse. But then he shifted on the bench again, his leg pressing against hers and his fingers brushing up against the bare skin of her forearm as all common sense flew right out the window.

"Yeah," she replied, feeling her nipples tighten as his tongue darted out to swipe over his bottom lip. "Let's get out of here."

They didn't make it far. The moment they stepped out of the back door she found herself slammed against the brick wall of the building and his mouth devouring hers. The only thing she could do was hold on for dear life and give as good as she got. The kiss was hot and heavy, and she wanted to wrap her legs around him, wanted to close her hand around the hard erection that was currently pressing against her stomach. His lips left hers and she might have whimpered at the loss, but he didn't go far, was back a second later, one hand closing around her thigh and yanking her leg up so that he could grind against her where she needed him the most.

She released the lapels of his shirt from her death grip to bury her fingers in his hair as their kiss turned even more passionate. Her head was starting to buzz from the lack of oxygen but she just tightened her grip, afraid he would leave her before she'd taken her fill. He was gyrating his hips against hers and she almost came from that contact alone. God, she needed him to fill her. Now. Here. She didn't care that someone might stumble upon them. She just needed to feel him push inside of her, needed him to fuck her into oblivion.

But they had to come up for air eventually, and when he stepped back and let her leg drop back to the ground again she wanted to scream.

"That was ..." he breathed, his pupils blown wide as he stared at her. Her eyes wandered down to the bulge in his pants, and she was hardly able to defy the urge to drop down on her knees and pull his cock out to wrap her mouth around him and suck him dry. Though his next word definitely doused that urge, as effectively as if he'd poured a bucket of ice-cold water over her head. "Unexpected."

"Unexpected?" she hissed, her fingers itching with the need to slap her hand across his face. What did he expect? Did he expect that she was a bad kisser or what?

"I like you, Emma Swan." His calm tone soothed her anger just a little bit, and then the bastard lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over her cheek and looked at her with such adoration that every thought of anger vanished out of her brain. "You're a very interesting woman. Which means I should just walk away and never look back."

"Afraid you might fall in love?" She quipped when he stepped back again, already missing the touch of his fingers against her skin while she tried desperately to ignore the rapid beating of her heart and the hot desire that was burning her from the inside out.

"No, afraid I'll hurt you," he replied, his voice so low that she could barely hear him. "I don't know what makes you special, but ..." He closed the gap between them again, his hands cupping her face before he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her closed lips. He was gone again before she could kiss him back, his eyes burning with an intensity that knocked the breath out of her. "… you are. It's been a long time that I actually cared about someone else besides me. So I have to go."

Her body screamed for her to stop him, but her mind was clinging to the last shreds of sanity and she let him go, watching him walk down the alley. Then she blinked and he was gone.

Leaning against the stone wall for support, she narrowed her eyes, wondering where he had gone. Her heart was beating hard against her ribcage as she stared into the shadows he'd just disappeared into. Damn, he must be a vampire after all. Only the really old ones couldn't be detected by a witch, and his disappearing act clearly marked him as a supernatural being.

She would ask Graham about the stranger - maybe her roommate knew who he was. But no matter what Graham told her … she definitely needed to stay away from the handsome stranger. Spending only a few hours with him had already caused cracks to run through the walls she'd built around her heart after Neal's betrayal. She'd promised herself that no man would ever get close again. No matter how handsome he was. No matter how much she wanted him. One-night stands were okay. But the moment feelings got involved she got the hell out of Dodge. A good fuck wasn't worth to risk her heart. She might use him for her fantasies to get herself off, but she would never speak to him again. Never.


	3. Chapter 3

_Present_

Killian waited a few minutes after she'd closed the door behind her before he let out a deep sigh and slumped into the leather chair standing before the fire. Closing his eyes, he leaned back into the cushions, wondering how the hell the vixen had managed to get under his skin like that.

He was a demon - well, a half-demon - but he hadn't cared about anyone in over three hundred years until he'd met Emma. She actually made him forget that he wasn't entirely human anymore for a few hours. He'd been wondering what spell she'd put on him, and when he'd found out that she was a witch he'd definitely toyed with the idea that the emotions she elicited in him were not entirely by his own choice. But then he'd remembered that witchcraft didn't have any effect on him, that whatever he felt for her happened without magic being involved whatsoever.

Not that this conclusion had made him feel any better.

He'd walked away from her the first time, determined to never see her again, rattled by the force of emotions Emma brought to the forefront, emotions he'd considered long gone, emotions he'd assumed would never return. The hours he'd spent with her had shaken up memories he'd buried in the farthest and darkest corner of his mind, memories he never wanted to look at again.

The memories of Liam, his older brother. His anchor when he was a kid, the brother who'd taken on the role of a father despite being only fourteen of age himself. Their mother had died when Killian was three, and their father left them when Killian was eight. If Liam hadn't been there, Killian would have probably ended up in the gutter or worse. But his brother had fought tooth and nail to earn enough money for them to survive, even managed to get them two commissions on a navy ship.

Life had been great upon the ship, hard work had been rewarded with climbing up in rank and in the end Liam had been a captain, and he himself a lieutenant. Killian had assumed the bad times were behind them, but then they'd been betrayed by their own king. Liam died on a mission that hadn't been for the greater good as they'd thought. He'd turned to piracy after that, relishing in sailing wherever he wanted without having to answer to any king.

But he didn't want to think about Liam, he didn't want to think about the past. Though the moment he'd met Emma the memories couldn't be stopped anymore.

Like the memories of Milah, the woman he'd fallen madly in love with all that time ago, the woman who'd sailed the high seas with him. For two years he'd believed that losing Liam hadn't crippled him forever, that he could find peace and love with Milah. But then her husband had shown up, killing her in front of his eyes with dark magic and hacking off Killian's own hand. Losing another person so close to his heart had been his undoing, pushing him into a downward spiral of alcohol, cheap women, and gambling, which ended with him stumbling into the demon world.

Morax, the demon who had found him, had taken him back to his lair, probably intending to torture him to death, something Killian had actually looked forward to. Maybe not the torturing per se, but being killed … he had looked forward to that. Until this day he had no idea what Morax had seen in him, why the demon had offered him a deal. And he still didn't know why he'd actually agreed to it.

Morax had made him a half demon. He couldn't become a full demon since he was human, or at least Morax had given him that explanation back in the day. It hadn't really mattered, he'd earned all the perks of being a demon while still being able to hold onto his humanity. He had fallen into a dark hole for decades while Morax showed him the ropes, teaching him everything he needed to know to survive as a demon. It hadn't been pretty, and he'd almost lost every shred of his humanity in the process. But then Morax had been killed by a powerful warlock and Killian staggered back from the precipice. On the surface, he acted as though nothing had changed, but in private he started to loathe the life he'd forced on himself by deciding to become a demon.

It was then that he'd realized for the first time that he wasn't bound to the same rules all the full demons were. He actually could go to the human world without being summoned, a secret he'd kept hidden for centuries, not wanting to be forced into anything he didn't want to do by other demons. Somehow he'd pulled it off, not killing anyone, not torturing anyone, while making the Demon Council believe he was doing what he was supposed to be doing. Spreading fear and hate amongst all other species. But he hadn't. Not for a long time.

He'd even rescued a fairy once from an undoubtedly cruel fate, winning her at an auction he'd participated in to calm down any suspicions that might have come up that he wasn't doing his job. Tink had been his companion for a few years, after she'd found out that he wasn't like all the other demons, that he'd still had compassion, could still feel guilt. Their friendship had been a beacon of light in his dull world, but after two years he'd seen the light fading out of her eyes, and in the end he'd let her go, faking her death and sending her into the human world with instructions to never be seen anywhere near the demon world again. He hadn't heard of her in over two centuries, but he hadn't heard of any fairy deaths or kidnappings either, so he assumed she'd made it and had lived a happy life.

He whirled his hand and a moment later a tumbler of scotch and a full bottle stood on the table beside him. He downed the whisky in one gulp. Sometimes being this old weighed too much on him, looking back at a life of over three hundred years and all the things he'd seen, all the things he'd done … sometimes he wondered why he was still here, why he still lived on. There was nothing in his life that was actually worth living for.

Well, until a few months ago. Until he met Emma.

"Bloody hell," he murmured under his breath as he filled his glass again to the rim with the amber liquid.

He'd already decided to go out in a blaze of glory, to let the witches have a great win by defeating a demon. He'd been just too tired of living a life that wasn't giving him anything anymore. He'd decided he would indulge in one week of debauchery before setting the stage for his own death. But then he'd walked into his favorite hunting grounds and had seen her, and everything changed.

He'd been determined to forget her, but he couldn't. And now look where that had gotten him. He was drowning his sorrows in a bottle of scotch because he'd gone and fallen in love with a witch. A _witch_. He was a bloody half demon who wasn't supposed to have any deeper emotions. He didn't want to feel anything for her, but she'd slammed into his heart with such a force that all the walls he'd built around it had crumpled under the onslaught.

But maybe meeting her had been fate, destiny, whatever you wanted to call it. She'd pulled him back into life with her sparkling green eyes so full of passion, her no-nonsense attitude, and her ability to hold her own in a fight. He'd be lying if he said that watching her fight didn't arouse him time and time again.

But if it'd only be lust he felt for her, he could deal with that. However, she captured not only his body but his mind, too. She was smart and cynical as hell. He could definitely relate to the cynicism, her sharp remarks never ceased to amuse him. And then there were her walls. She hid it very well, but he was still able to see her damaged soul, the scars her past had left behind, the walls she was forced to build to protect herself. He wanted to tear them down brick by brick until he could gather her heart and soul in his hands to heal them, and never let them go again.

"Gods, would you stop being so sodding pathetic?" he grumbled, shaking his head about his mushy thoughts. "A demon isn't supposed to be a sappy git."

Staring into the flames of the dying fire, he gulped down half of his glass of whiskey, letting his mind wander back to the second time he'd met his witch. And yeah, in his mind Emma Swan wasn't any witch, she was _his_.

And damn all the consequences this primal need would cause to hell.


	4. Chapter 4

_Five months ago_

He needed to find himself a woman to pass the time - he was bored out of his skull. Maybe he'd choose more than one person, a threesome might shake things up a little bit. He hadn't shared a woman with another man for quite some time, and perhaps he should do it again.

He stepped through a hidden door into the late afternoon sun and his mouth curled up when he tilted his head towards the warm rays. The best thing about being a half demon was definitely the fact that he could walk into the human world whenever he wanted.

His feet carried him down the street towards 'Rascals' before his mind could catch up, and he let out an expletive when he realized it. He hadn't gone back there since he met Emma. He'd tried to forget the woman, angry with himself for letting one feeble human change his mind about ending his life. He still didn't know why spending these few hours with Emma had pulled him out of the depression he'd been living in, but it had. To be honest, he was still unsure if that was a good thing or not.

Letting his eyes flicker to the hook he wore instead of a left hand, he wondered for the umpteenth time why he'd stopped glamouring a hand to his stump after that night two months ago. Though he'd used the hook before, enjoying the shock it elicited in most humans when they first spotted it. And it definitely had its advantages when it came to seducing women into his bed. There were a lot of things he could do to a female body with the help of this appendage. Especially nowadays he didn't have a problem finding women who enjoyed some pain with their pleasure. However, with humans he only used the hook and never let them feel what the demon could do to them. If he wanted to let out his demon half, he always chose to visit the demon brothel. Humans weren't equipped to survive what his demon cock could do to them. He'd even slept with a demon once while being in his demonic form. He had to admit that it'd had its perks, holding onto her wings while he'd fucked the living daylights out of her for hours until they'd been both completely spent. His body had actually needed a few days to recover from that encounter.

Which brought him back to the present and his need to fuck in the hopes of getting Emma out of his head. He should have done it sooner, should have found a human woman weeks ago who might open her legs for him and let him fuck her until she screamed his name.

He didn't want to feel anything and Emma _did_ elicit feelings in him. These feelings had to disappear, he didn't want to have them. So fucking a stranger it was. He just needed to find a fuck partner somewhere else. He'd definitely not go back to 'Rascals'.

He was on his way to the next bar over when he heard a commotion coming out of the dark alley he was just about to walk by, and he swallowed a groan. He wasn't really in the mood to help out a human damsel in distress, but when a curse reached his ear he turned around the corner with a sigh on his lips. Apparently the human half of his soul couldn't let him ignore it.

"You think you can take me down?" the woman said to her attackers when he stepped into the alley, her voice making alarm bells ring in his head. The men obscuring his view shifted and his eyes fell on the woman standing there and he let out a groan. Of course he would stumble over Emma being mugged in a dark alley. Of course. And of course she had to taunt her attackers. "Then come get me, you morons."

"Bloody hell," he growled as he hurried over to the man closest to him and yanked him off his feet by the collar of his jacket.

He glimpsed Emma kicking the other man in the stomach with an impressive move out of the corner of his eye; clearly she could hold her own in a fight. He concentrated on his opponent, flinging him into the next trash bin, careful not to let his inhuman strength be too obvious. Erasing memories was a bitch, and he didn't want to do it on three people.

Fortunately, the man decided to stay out cold, so he could turn to Emma again to check on her well-being. He didn't need to worry. She was just about to knock the man out with a well-placed upper jab and the man's eyes rolled upwards as he crumpled to the ground unceremoniously.

He couldn't keep the grin off his face when she shook her hand out afterwards, and didn't even try to keep the awe out of his voice when he said, "Well done, love."

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, looking at him with an annoyed expression he didn't think was justified, considering that he'd come to her rescue. Even though she might not have needed him to step in.

"I was just walking by when ..."

A shuffle at his back interrupted him, but apparently he was still too distracted by the fact that Emma was standing in front of him to assess the danger properly when he turned to face the man he'd thought was out cold. He only managed to get his important parts out of the way of the bullet, searing pain shooting through his shoulder as the bullet tore through his flesh. Not thinking about the consequences he closed the gap between them with inhuman speed and let his fist connect with the other man's jaw, the power behind the blow propelling the man off his feet and making him fly a few feet backwards before the wall stopped his movement.

Gritting his teeth, he pressed one hand against his shoulder to stop the blood flow while eyeing the other man for any attempt to attack again, but thankfully the man stayed down this time. The threat having been dismissed now, his body decided to speak up again and his shoulder started throbbing in accord with his heartbeat. Gods, it bloody hurt. He would heal in no time the moment he pulled the slug out of his shoulder, but having incredible healing powers didn't mean he didn't feel pain.

"What are you?"

For a moment he'd forgotten that Emma was here, that she'd seen everything. He turned to face her, already having a lie on his lips. But when he met her eyes he knew he wouldn't be able to convince her that what she'd seen had been due to the adrenaline rush coursing through her body. Though he still tried to avoid answering the question.

"Your white knight in shining armor?" he said, shooting her a lopsided smirk. She actually rolled her eyes at him and already opened her mouth to give him what would be, without a doubt, a scalding retort when she looked over his shoulder and her face changed expressions.

"Watch out!" she yelled as she pushed him out of the way, one hand shooting out and white light bursting from her fingers. She hit a third man who had probably been on the lookout until it was his turn square in the chest and he flew through the air, slamming against the wall with a dull smack before he crumbled to the ground.

"You're a witch," he blurted out, completely taken by surprise. "Bloody hell."

"And you are?" she repeated her question as she swirled back around to him.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he retorted, wondering if he could pull the slug out in front of her or if that would be totally inappropriate. Not to mention that he should probably disappear as fast as possible. A witch could cause him even more serious damage than a bullet could.

But the expression on her face told him that she wouldn't let him get away that easily. Deciding to pull out the big guns, he grinned at her, trying to ignore the burning in his shoulder. He was distracted by the fire in her eyes for just that one crucial second it took her to sweep his legs out from under him. He crashed into the ground hard, cursing up a streak of expletives when his wound shot excruciating pain through his body. Before she could drop down on him and pin him to the ground, he drew on his demon skills and rolled out from under her in a blur, having her pinned to the ground instead a second later.

"You're a demon," she croaked out, her gaze fixed on his eyes. He'd forgotten about the fact that his eyes flashed bright red whenever he used his demon powers. She was staring up at him, apparently too stunned to try throwing him off her. "But how is that possible? It's not night yet."

"Exactly," he drawled, shifting his weight in an attempt to annoy her.

Her eyes sparked with anger and she bucked under him, finally trying to push him off. "Get off me, or I blast you into oblivion."

"You could try, love."

"I'd love to grill your sorry ass," she gritted out through clenched teeth.

"If you're interested in my ass, we can arrange that," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Though I prefer to do other more enjoyable things with a woman on her back."

"I bet," she huffed, the muscles of her forearms flexing against his and then her eyes narrowed and her mouth tilted upwards into a mocking smile, preparing him for the inevitable jab that would come out of her mouth next. "Probably in your demon form since I've heard demon's appendages are tiny when they pose as humans."

"Oh, believe me, witch," he retorted, his cock hardening in his pants as she kept shifting underneath him. "When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it."

"Not gonna happen, pal," she hissed and her hands relaxed, telling him she was about to use her witch powers on him.

For a split moment he was truly tempted to let her feel his erection to show her how much this little encounter had aroused him, but he refrained from doing so. The need to crush his mouth against hers to let the adrenaline flow in a completely different direction was coursing through his veins. It was definitely more difficult than he'd expected to lean back and stand up, but getting involved with a witch was never a good idea. Not in a fight, nor in passion.

Nonetheless, he couldn't keep himself from taunting, "You don't know what you're missing out on, witch."

"Oh, I'll gladly pass up that opportunity, demon," she shot back while she scrambled up from the ground, and hell blazes, he almost held out his hand to help her up.

"See you around," he said as he stepped back, not wanting to do something he might regret later. Like pressing her against the wall and ripping her clothes off so that he could drive into her until his balls slapped against her ass.

He turned around and started to walk away, leaving the task of erasing the memories of the attackers to her. He definitely needed to get away from her before he could act on that insane desire to fuck her senseless. He was almost around the corner when she shouted after him, "Hopefully not."


	5. Chapter 5

_Present_

The last time she'd used the demon for a booty call had been three weeks ago. And she felt frazzled now. Her body demanded some relief from her, a relief she refused to give. As always, she tried every toy she could get her hands on to shut her body up. And as always, it didn't listen, aching for something else. Something more.

It wasn't as if she didn't know what her body craved. It wasn't as if she didn't hate herself for wanting him so much. She didn't want to want him. She didn't want to need him. So she always welcomed the pain, needed him to make her suffer while bringing her to new peaks of pleasure at the same time. She feared that if she let her guard down, if she lowered her walls just a tiny fraction they would come crashing down around her and leave her more vulnerable than she'd ever been. So she only went to him for a fuck that left her body completely exhausted and hurting. The other possibility wasn't an option. She wouldn't let herself be with him just to be with him. She didn't want to get to know him better.

He was a fucking demon. For fuck's sake.

She stifled the urge to push her fist into the wall. It wouldn't help calm her down. But when the rain drummed against the window, she gulped down a groan. She wasn't in the mood for rain, didn't want to remember what happened three months ago. But every time the sky opened up to unleash a storm upon the earth she was reminded of the day a certain demon thought he needed to rescue her again, and they ended up in a remote cabin, her legs wrapped around his waist and his cock buried deep inside of her.

_Three months ago_

It was raining buckets, and she could hardly see her hand in front of her eyes. Not that she actually needed her vision to beat the crap out of the two vampires who'd assumed she was easy prey. She acted solely on instinct, countering their attacks without any problems. She thought she had everything under control when the air around them suddenly changed.

_Crap on toast._

She hadn't expected one of the old vampires to join this fight. She could hold her own against at least five normal vampires, but this changed everything. She didn't have much of a chance if he really decided to attack her with full force. Not that she would give up without a fight, though.

But for now he stayed in the background, probably waiting for the right moment to jump in and blast her into oblivion. The hair at the back of her neck raised up and a hollow feeling settled in her stomach. She wasn't getting out of this without major injury. The only thing she could hope for was that the vampire didn't want to kill her. That he only wanted to play with her for a little while before letting her go.

Her kicks became sloppy, her mind too focused on the threat the other vampire posed to truly concentrate on the fight at hand. When the air shifted again, she almost screamed out loud. This was so not fair.

But then her eyes fell on the person who'd just appeared out of nowhere, and her shoulders relaxed just a fraction. She'd never thought there would come a day when she was actually glad to see the demon.

A dark swirl at the periphery of her vision told her that the old vampire had decided that he didn't want to get into a fight with a demon, but his minions still fought like maniacs. She and Killian managed to slam them into the brick wall and knock them out at least for a few minutes so that they had enough time to hurry into the woods and disappear.

They didn't stop until they reached a cabin, breaking into it and barricading the door behind them. Her chest was still heaving with ragged breaths, adrenaline coursing through her veins and keeping her hyper alert as she turned around to face him.

The sight that greeted her almost made her swallow her tongue, silent curses rising in her as she stared at the vision in front of her. God damn it, she wanted to follow the droplets of water that trailed down his neck with her tongue, wanted to rip his shirt apart and kiss her way down his stomach.

She was hardly able to reign in her baser instincts, one cold shiver after the other wracking her body. She didn't know if it was due to the clammy feeling of her wet clothes or due to the fact that the most handsome demon she'd ever seen was standing in front of her. Her nipples were hard pebbles, her breasts growing heavy with need. Despite her body's obvious signs of arousal, she still tried to convince herself it was only because of the cold and not because of the heated look the demon was giving her.

"You still wanna deny it, Swan?" he rasped, his eyes burning so hot that she felt her skin heating up.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You want me to leave?"

She wanted to say yes, but her mouth apparently had a mind of its own. What came out instead was, "No."

He tilted his head, staring at her for a few more seconds before he suddenly moved. She was pushed against the wall before her brain was even able to process that he was moving, and he didn't leave her any time to recover. His tongue pushed into her mouth, his hard body pressed against hers. She wouldn't be surprised if their wet clothes suddenly started steaming with the heat they generated.

The sound of ripping fabric rang through the air, and she stared down at her shredded shirt in disbelief _,_ contemplating whether she should act affronted or show him that him ripping her shirt apart had pushed her arousal up a few notches. But he took the decision out of her hands.

"If you want the rest of your clothes to stay intact, you better get naked now, love."

She only hesitated a split second before she let her mouth curl up into a grin. His eyes narrowed, he apparently sensed that she was up to something wicked. Not wanting to disappoint him, she flicked her hand. In the blink of an eye, their clothes were on the ground and they were both stark naked.

"That's quite a handy skill, Swan."

"I know."

He didn't waste any more time with small talk. He just closed the gap between them and lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. But then he stopped, poised at her entrance, his eyes intent on hers. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw emotions swirling in his eyes she didn't want him to have. He was supposed to be a cold-hearted demon. A great fuck and nothing more.

She grabbed his ass and tilted her hips, silently demanding of him to get on with it. He obeyed without question, thrusting upwards and burying himself to the hilt inside of her. She couldn't swallow down the moan as he stretched her just right, and when he started to move her eyes fell shut.

She wanted to just live in the moment, just enjoy the great fuck. But her mind wouldn't shut up, bombarding her with forbidden thoughts. Thoughts about having him more than once, about making this a regular thing. Thoughts she couldn't afford to have. So she decided to yank these thoughts out by the roots before they even had time to grow. Before they could grow into monsters she couldn't contain anymore.

"That's all you've got?" she asked, clenching her walls around him as she opened her eyes. "If I remember correctly, you promised me that I would feel it if you jabbed me with your sword." She pressed her hand against his chest and pushed him back until she could look him in the eye, trying to ignore the waves of pleasure that radiated from her middle. "Honestly, I'm not impressed."

"Is that so?" he drawled, pulling out of her a few inches just to thrust deep again. "You sure you can take all of me?"

"Pleaaase." She rolled her eyes, wondering what she was getting herself into. His cock was already stretching her, she really didn't need to poke the sleeping bear here. But of course, she couldn't shut up, of course she couldn't give him an inch. "Bring it on, demon."

"As you wish, witch."

She gasped when his cock grew in size inside of her, and then her inner walls suddenly felt as though they were on fire. She jerked in his arms, biting her tongue to keep herself from screaming in agony when the pain became almost unbearable. But he looked at her with a knowing smirk on his handsome face and his eyebrow cocked up in question, daring her to ask him to stop. Of course she wouldn't say the words now. It wasn't as if she couldn't take it.

His gaze softened when she refused to give in, and she wanted to slap him for eliciting feelings in her she didn't want to have. Shaking his head slightly, he dropped it in a silent scolding for a second before he lifted his hand and closed his fingers around her breast.

She did scream this time. But not out of pain, but out of pleasure. She didn't know what exactly he was doing, but whatever he was doing was working. The pain subsided to a bearable level, making the pleasure he was giving her so much more intense.

He was fucking her in earnest now, his enlarged cock slamming into her, her back hitting the wall hard with each thrust. Her bones started to ache, her muscles trembled with the exertion to hold on to him, but he didn't let up and she didn't want him to.

It was the most amazing sex of her life and she didn't want it to end.

"Oh my God," she moaned as his hand slipped between their bodies and his fingers found her clit. "Oh my Goooooodddd."

"Aye, just like that. Come for me, Swan." He thrust deep into her, his fingers flicking over her clit, pushing her closer and closer to an earth-shattering climax. All she could do was hang on to him for dear life as she spiraled into the abyss. He knew exactly how to keep her on the line between pain and pleasure. She had a hard time even remembering to breathe as one wave of pleasure after another rushed through her body, always accompanied by a thread of pain that threatened to drive her insane. "I want your cunt to milk my cock dry. Come on."

If she could, she wouldn't climax just to spite him. But in the exact moment that thought speared through her brain her body shook in defeat as her orgasm crashed into her, her walls contracting around his cock, giving him what he wanted.

"Gods, Swan."

His body bowed into hers, his cock swelling even more as he spilled his semen into her. She yanked him forward by his head, digging her teeth into his shoulder to keep herself from screaming his name, her nails probably leaving deep indentations behind as she buried them in his ass.

Her climax went on and on, new pulses throbbing through her every time his cock twitched inside of her. She wanted to stay detached, but her body was betraying her. Her mind stumbled into a whirlwind of emotions, falling into chaos at the sensation of having him so near to her.

His cock was still buried deep inside of her, the smell of wet clothes and sex wafting around them. She shifted and was hit by a wave of his scent. All male and sweaty. She almost climaxed again. Gritting her teeth, she forced her body to calm down, putting her walls back up before he noticed they were down and went in for the kill.

"Not bad," she drawled as she let her legs drop down from his waist. "There's still room for improvements, but it wasn't that bad."

He didn't react to her barb at all, his eyes were still closed when he slipped out of her and stepped back. When he finally opened his eyes the look he gave her slammed into her with the force of a roundhouse kick, leaving her completely breathless.

"That was ..."

"A one-time thing," she cut him off before he could say something she didn't want to hear.

The encounter had rattled her down to her core and she needed time to process it. Time to shove it into the darkest recesses of her brain and forget about it.

"If you say so, Swan."

She didn't even give him a reply, just shrugged her shoulders as if what had just happened was nothing but a small inconvenience. Thankfully, he wasn't able to see through her walls. Thankfully, he had no clue that this fuck had been way more than just a frantic joining of their bodies for her.

Not that she would ever admit to that openly. It was a one-time thing. And it would stay a one-time thing.


	6. Chapter 6

_Present_

"Emma, I have a case for you," Graham announced when he stepped into the room. "An interesting one."

Emma looked up from her computer, glad for the interruption. Doing taxes was never a fun activity, almost as bad as filling out the after incident reports for the Witch Council whenever she used her witch powers in her line of work or for self-defense.

"Let me take a look."

Emma held her hand out for the folder, nodding when Graham asked her if she wanted another cup of coffee before she opened the folder and bent over it. The first thing her eyes fell on was the photo clipped to the first page, and her breath hitched in her throat as she looked at the child's face. Something about him seemed extremely familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Reaching for the photo, she hesitated for a second, still wondering why silent alarm bells were going off in her head. But she ignored it for the moment and pulled the picture free to read the information jotted down on the back.

Henry Mills

DOB 09/16/2006

Mother: Regina Locksley

The date of birth caused an unsettled feeling to drop into her stomach. 2006 was the year that she couldn't remember anymore. The name of the mother made it even worse. The head of the Witch Council had a ten-year-old son? She didn't even know that.

"What happened?" she asked Graham, shutting the folder so that she didn't have to look at the photo of the young boy anymore.

"He disappeared three days ago from the playground right around the corner of Mrs. Locksley's home. He wasn't supposed to leave the grounds without his nanny, but he snuck out. As you can imagine she moved heaven and earth to find him, but didn't have any luck."

If Regina couldn't find him the probability of them finding him was even smaller. Why exactly did one of the most powerful witches on earth need her help?

"I didn't even know she had a son."

"She actually has two," Graham explained. "She adopted Henry as a baby, and Roland is the child her husband brought into the marriage. But she told me in confidence that she is currently pregnant. Hence her not being able to follow the leads. She doesn't want to risk her unborn child in a battle."

"Battle?" Emma questioned, the queasy feeling in her stomach intensifying even more. "So she knows who took her son?"

"She thinks he might have been taken by the fairies," Graham said, shooting her an apologetic grin as he added, "She picked up their distinctive scent. She said it was faint, but still there."

"No," Emma blurted out, balling her hand into a fist when the realization hit home. "No, no, no, no, noooo."

She'd tried so goddamn hard to stay away from him, and now she had to ask him for help?

No!

Graham just looked at her with a knowing gaze as he said softly, "You know that the only way you can get into the fairy world is by invite or with a demon."

"No," she repeated, but her voice already started to wobble. Her brain knew Killian was the only solution if they wanted to help find Regina's son, but the rest of her body refused to accept it.

"He's a kid, Emma," Graham pushed gently, knowing she could never turn her back on cases that involved children. "He is only ten years old. If we have the chance to save him … we have to take it."

"God damn it," she cursed under her breath. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"So you'll do it? You'll ask him for help?"

"Yes," she said, admitting defeat. "Yes, I will ask him."

* * *

Twenty-four hours later, she was standing in front of Killian's door, closing her eyes for a moment and berating herself for needing to ask him for help once more. She'd just had a not quite pleasant conversation with Regina in which the other woman told her blatantly that she knew that Emma was having an intimate relationship with a demon. Of course, Regina waved off her attempt of denial, telling her that she was actually glad about Emma's misstep since the easiest way to get into the fairy world was with a demon. Regina had promised her that she would keep her mouth shut about it if Emma brought her son back safe and sound. If not … Regina didn't have to spell it out for her. Emma knew she was screwed if she didn't find Henry alive. So she didn't have another choice if she didn't want to spend the next ten years doing dirty work for the Witch Council. She needed to find Henry, and to be able to do that she needed a demon to help her cross over.

With a sigh of defeat, she raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against the door.

She caught the quick flicker of surprise that flitted over his face when he opened the door, but it was replaced by a smug expression in the blink of an eye. He waved her in with a flourish, and she gritted her teeth to keep herself from blurting out a scolding remark. It wouldn't help the purpose of her visit if she annoyed him already in the first few seconds.

She almost changed her mind when she turned around and found him already too close for comfort. Before she could stop him, his body pressed into hers and he pushed her against the wall while a voice in her head kept insisting that she didn't even try to stop him. She told her inner voice to shut the hell up and opened her mouth when his tongue flicked against her bottom lip, this one brush already enough to cause her lower body to go up in flames. She let herself indulge in the kiss for a few seconds before she pushed him back and took a couple of steps towards the other side of the room to put some much needed distance between them.

"I'm actually not here for that."

"No?" he asked, cocking that infuriating eyebrow at her, combining it with a lopsided curl of his mouth that she was tempted to slap off his face. But it wasn't his fault that she was that easy. That one smile of his made her heart start racing in her chest and caused a throbbing need low in her belly.

Putting her hands on his chest, she pushed him backwards. "I'm actually here on business."

"Do tell," he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the table behind him.

She definitely didn't appreciate the way the shirt tightened over his arms and stomach with the movement. Definitely not. The hair on his chest had tickled her palms and she rubbed her hands over her pants to stop the tingling in her fingers. But she had a really hard time not letting her eyes drop to the wide V his half-opened shirt revealed. This demon clearly had an aversion to buttons. Maybe his chest hair needed to breathe and would suffocate if he buttoned his shirts all the way up to his throat. Not that the sight was repulsive, it just made her want to rip the shirt open.

"You need my help for anything, Swan?" Killian asked, the question fortunately forcing her back to the present and away from the inappropriate thoughts she'd just indulged in about his chest and following the path of hair down his stomach with her mouth.

"A young boy disappeared four days ago. Mrs. Locksley's son, Henry," she told him in a clipped tone, switching into professional mode and leaving all personal feelings behind. This was only a job, after all. Nothing else. "She suspects the fairies."

"And she can't pursue her suspicions because she is pregnant," Killian said pensively, surprising her with his intimate knowledge about the head of the Witch Council.

"Exactly," she asserted his assumption. "I'm sure she would have found a way to the fairy world nonetheless, but she remembered hearing rumors about me and you and asked me for help. So here I am."

His teeth flashed bright white as he shot her a shit-eating grin, and she had to bite her tongue to not quip at him. Especially after his next words were, "She didn't bite your head off after you've admitted to fucking a demon?"

"No, she didn't," she replied firmly, trying her damnedest to keep her cool even if the demon was testing her patience. "After all, you're the most convenient solution for her problem. She needs you."

" _She_ needs me?" he prodded, raising that damn eyebrow again. His eyes practically sparkled with amusement, and she groaned inwardly. She wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if he decided to make her grovel. "Come on, Swan. You can do better."

"Fine," she gritted out through clenched teeth, rolling her eyes at his satisfied grin. "I need you, too. Will you help me?"

He stayed silent for a few seconds, eyeing her with a scrutiny that made her legs itch with the need to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. Everything in her bristled with the thought of actually needing to grovel to get him to help her, but if she needed to she would. As if he could hear her thoughts a smirk played over his lips. Cocking his head to the side, he left her hanging for another minute before he finally put her out of her misery.

"Aye, I think I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This is the end of the first part. Thanks to all of you for reading, and a special thank you goes out to those of you who take the time to leave me a comment.**
> 
> **So ... I decided that I will actually take some pressure off myself and completely write the second part before posting Chapter 7, so that I can keep up a regular updating schedule.**
> 
> **I'm definitely very excited to write it. I've a lot planned. :-)**


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